What Services Does a Landscape Designer Offer?
A landscape designer’s job goes well beyond picking plants. Grover’s Landscape Services & Design provides landscape design services across the Portland metro that cover everything from a single planting plan to a full service landscape design and build for a complete property transformation — so the right starting point depends on your property and your budget, not a one-size-fits-all package.
By Yuriy Cheshev, Owner · Last updated 4 September 2026
What Is the Difference Between Landscape Design and Landscaping?
In short: landscape design is the planning phase — grading, drainage, layout, and plant selection drawn up before any digging starts. Landscaping is the physical work of installing and maintaining what the plan calls for. A contractor can landscape a yard without a plan; a landscape designer builds the plan a good landscaping crew then executes.
We’ve written a full breakdown of this distinction, including what a design plan should include, in our Portland landscape design guide — worth a read if you want the longer explanation before choosing a service level.
Compare Landscape Design Service Packages in Oregon
Not every property needs the same scope of work. Here’s how to compare landscape design service packages in Oregon before you call for a quote:
- Planting plan only. A focused plan for beds, borders, and plant selection — the right fit for backyard landscape design services on a property that already has good grading and hardscape, and just needs a real design instead of guess-and-buy trips to the nursery.
- Full-service landscape design and build. Site assessment, grading and drainage, hardscape layout, irrigation, lighting, and planting, all designed and installed by one crew. This is the package most full backyard and front-yard transformations need.
- Commercial and HOA design program. A phased plan for common areas, entryways, or business properties, often rolled out over multiple budget cycles instead of a single build.
Knowing which tier fits your property before the first call makes the quote process faster and the proposal more accurate.
Who Offers Full-Service Landscape Design in the Portland Area?
Grover’s Landscape Services & Design has provided landscape design services across the Portland metro since 1995. We’re a family-owned, licensed Oregon contractor under CCB #100592 — a license anyone can verify directly with the state before hiring.
The same in-house crew that draws the plan also builds it, so nothing gets lost between a designer and a separate installation contractor. We serve Portland, Lake Oswego, Beaverton, Tualatin, Sherwood, Wilsonville, Hillsboro, Clackamas, Newberg, West Linn, and Salem, with a 5.0-star Google rating and clients who’ve stayed with us for 20 years or more.
Landscape Design Services for Commercial and HOA Properties
Commercial and HOA landscape design services carry different constraints than a backyard project — board approvals, phased budgets, and common areas used by dozens of households instead of one. Community associations in Oregon generally work through resources like the Western Oregon chapter of the Community Associations Institute, which supports HOA boards and managers on exactly these kinds of capital projects.
We design common-area entries, retention and drainage features, and phased planting plans that a board can approve in stages rather than all at once, so a large property isn’t stuck choosing between “do nothing” and “do everything this year.”
How Much Do Landscape Design Services Cost?
Cost depends far more on package tier than on the property alone. A planting-plan-only project costs less than a full-service landscape design and build, and a commercial or HOA program is usually priced and phased differently than either one.
For a specific residential dollar range, our landscape design cost guide walks through real numbers by project scope. For commercial and HOA work, we price after a site walk and a conversation with the board or property manager, since scope varies too much for a flat estimate.
Every proposal from Grover’s is written and itemized before any work begins — no verbal-only estimates on any package tier.
Best Landscape Design Services Near Portland Oregon: What to Look For
Searching for the best landscape design services near Portland Oregon usually turns up a long list of contractors. A few things separate a real design service from a plant-list quote:
- A licensed, verifiable contractor. Ask for the CCB number and check it yourself before signing anything.
- One crew, design through build. Full service landscape design and build under one roof means no finger-pointing between a designer and an installer.
- A written plan, not a verbal estimate. A real design service hands you a scaled plan and itemized proposal, not a rough number over the phone.
- Local plant and soil knowledge. Willamette Valley clay and a long wet season punish generic plant lists that weren’t designed for this climate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between landscape design and landscaping services?
Landscape design is the planning phase — grading, drainage, layout, and plant selection on paper before work starts. Landscaping services are the physical installation and ongoing care that follow the plan.
Do your design services include a planting plan?
Yes. Every design package includes a planting plan matched to the site’s soil, sun exposure, and drainage, whether you choose a planting-plan-only project or a full design and build.
Can you redesign an existing landscape?
Yes. We regularly redesign established properties — correcting drainage issues, replacing plants that never suited the site, and reworking layouts that were added to piecemeal over the years.
Do you offer landscape design for commercial properties?
Yes. We design and build for HOAs, business parks, office properties, and other commercial clients across the Portland metro, including phased programs for boards working within multi-year budgets.
Do you provide a written design plan?
Yes. Every project, residential or commercial, gets a written, itemized proposal and design plan before any work begins. You approve the scope and pricing first.
Ready to Find the Right Landscape Design Services for Your Property?
Grover’s Landscape Services & Design has provided landscape design services across the Portland metro since 1995, from a single planting plan to full-service landscape design and build for homes, HOAs, and commercial properties. Contact us at (503) 936-8910, for a free site visit and written proposal, or visit our Landscape Design & Development page or project gallery to see finished work first.
